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2012 in books — By the numbers

It was an amazing year for reading, which I attribute not only to our “empty nest” but that I stayed with my nonresolution to read what I want when I wanted. I read only 19 review copies this year, compared to 36 last year. Ultimately, I read far more books this year than ever before.

I read more than 51,000 pages last year. My personal reading in 2012 also reflected what is happening in society. Nearly half the books I read were ebooks, an increase of more than 300 percent since 2010 and up nearly 40 percent over last year.

I read slightly more fiction percentage-wise. That resulted from increases in both translated literature and SF. As for nonfiction, people’s lives apparently intrigued me in 2012. Nearly half the nonfiction I read in 2012 were autobiographies, memoirs or biographies. Here’s a breakdown of how the year shaped up: